1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air
a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wander
to move about from place to place aimlessly
lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers
the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of float
William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump has publicly floated the idea of helping Iranians get online, even suggesting outreach to Elon Musk, whose Starlink service has been partially jammed by Iranian authorities.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
For dessert, try the yuzu soda ice-cream float with a vanilla-matcha twist.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Verb
The combined seven-member space station crew, floating in the Japanese Kibo lab module, floated together for a group hug have outgoing commander Mike Fincke officially turned the lab over to cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump has publicly floated the idea of helping Iranians get online, even suggesting outreach to Elon Musk, whose Starlink service has been partially jammed by Iranian authorities.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
The float at the front of the line featured Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy with Mickey waving the flag, Goofy banging a drum, and Donald on flute, a giant eagle looming over them from behind.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
For dessert, try the yuzu soda ice-cream float with a vanilla-matcha twist.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
-
When temperatures hover around the freezing point, water under or in the pavement freezes and expands, pushing up on the road and stressing it in all directions.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Morning temps in Austin will hover near freezing, but afternoon highs will remain relatively mild, reaching the 50s from the Panhandle to the coast.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her third album, which is self-titled, is a document of wandering.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This meant that the MQ-20 could fly aggressively without the danger of wandering into restricted civilian airspace or high-threat corridors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This building will add truck docks and overhead doors to accommodate many industrial tenants.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Liverpool’s docks had declined since her childhood; the unemployment rate was at more than 20 percent, nearly twice the national average.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
James Cook had spent more time sailing the Pacific than the other Europeans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The submarine sailed out from the shipyard operated by CSBC Corp, Taiwan, in Kaohsiung to conduct its sixth sea acceptance test.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Visitors can see the festival's namesake ostriches up close in a viewing area where the birds can roam around.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Yet, these sleek, wild, predator cats roam the foothills and mountains from Ventura to San Diego, slipping in and out of millions of backyards and dozens of local canyons mostly unseen, except for those fuzzy images captured by trail cameras and home surveillance videos.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
He was given first aid by Water Police officers before being transported to Rose Bay wharf, where NSW Ambulance paramedics continued first aid on the victim, the NSW Police said.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Infrastructure upgrades, including new electrical systems and wharf improvements, are already underway to accommodate the advanced platforms.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Two months later, a bull shark killed a woman swimming off a remote beach north of Sydney.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
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The research team conducted whole-brain imaging on freely swimming zebrafish larvae, recording the real-time activity of tens of thousands of neurons during natural behavior.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Astronomers have detected simple organic molecules drifting through interstellar clouds and preserved in meteorites and comets, indicating that biologically important compounds can form in space and be delivered to planetary surfaces.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be icy.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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